Here is a little-known fact: 38 percent of all housing in Freeport is rental. That means that four of every 10 housing units are owned by someone who does not live there. In some areas of the city, like the Third Ward, owner-occupied housing is the exception, not the rule.

These areas of the city also have some of the most rundown housing and the most public safety issues. In recent months we have taken major steps to start addressing neighborhood issues. Bad buildings are being demolished. Our code inspector is citing substandard buildings. There now are more teeth in our nuisance ordinances. Community policing is restored. But we need to do more. We need to use ALL of the tools available to restore our city.

The time is overdue to pass a rental housing registration ordinance. The Police Department, the Fire Department, and the Community Development Department have drafted such an ordinance with my approval. It is now before the City Council’s Committee of the Whole.

The proposed ordinance would require registration of all residential rental buildings and an identified responsible person to contact when there are problems. It would also require written leases with a crime-free housing provision as an addendum. This lease addendum would provide that tenants could be evicted for unlawful activity and that their “guests” could be barred from the premises if they are involved in unlawful activity.

An additional provision of the ordinance provides for a landlord fee to implement the provisions: $25 a year for single-family rental dwellings, $35 a year for dwellings containing two to five rental units and $45 a year for dwellings containing five or more rental units. Failure to register properties could result in major fines.

This ordinance builds on the recommendation made by a Rental Property Task Force originally formed by the prior administration. The Task Force endorsed rental registration, but did not provide for an implementation fee or for a crime-free housing provision. The proposed ordinance was extensively discussed at the City Council’s Committee of the Whole last Tuesday evening. The City Council heard from our staff and from landlords. To no one’s great surprise, landlords are opposed to fees and many are opposed to any registration at all.

So, what is at stake here? We cannot improve our neighborhoods and make every area of the city a decent, livable neighborhood unless property owners also take responsibility for their property. This means we have to be able to identify a responsible party when there are problems instead of sending notices to a faceless land trust or playing detective regarding who really owns or controls the property. In many cases even the tenants do not know where to turn. The rent goes to a post office box. Often the owners of rental property live far from Freeport.

Page 2 of 2 - The issue is not always about legal process, but finding the right person to work with to solve practical issues. For example, if the Fire Department responds to an emergency call or to a fire, is it not helpful to all parties to have the property secured — or to at least receive immediate notification? If the Police Department knows that a particular dwelling is the subject of ongoing drug activity, is it not helpful to work with the owner to bar criminal activity on that property and to evict lawbreakers? If a property is in bad condition, should the city have to spend weeks playing detective to find a responsible party to obtain repairs?

For close to two decades I have doubted the value of rental registration ordinances. Our continuing problems in upgrading our neighborhoods to a safe condition have forced me to change my mind. Every community leader of a municipality with a rental property registration program with whom I have talked has unanimously agreed that a rental registration ordinance works.

I am hopeful that the citizens of Freeport and our City Council will come to the same conclusion. The interest of the entire city must take precedence over the financial interests of the few. It is not enough to pass an ordinance. We have to have the financial resources to implement it effectively.

In my next column, I will discuss the need and use of the registration fees.